About Me
Katie believes that acupuncture can help people feel at home in their bodies. Acupuncture, massage, and herbal medicine are gentle and effective approaches that utilize deep listening, assessing where you are, and meeting your unique needs each time you visit.
The goal of an acupuncture treatment is to create a space for empowerment and support on the journey to health. While acupuncture is a powerful system for treating acute and chronic pain and injuries, acupuncture is also effective in treating emotional imbalances, fatigue, burnout, insomnia, digestive issues, symptoms of perimenopause, and many other conditions. Acupuncture can also assist in supporting you through transitions in life. Acupuncture, massage, and herbal medicine are invaluable forms of self-care to support you through the demands of caregiving, and soothing the frayed nerves and emotional and physical toll that grief often takes on our bodies and spirits. Acupuncture offers the support that is missing in conventional medical systems for those experiencing major loss or life changes such as the death or illness of a loved one, relationship changes, job loss or a career change.
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Katie is excited to be a student and practitioner of Chinese Medicine. She is driven by a belief that this medicine offers a system of practices and understanding that can allow each person to find their personal state of optimal health. Katie acknowledges the importance of integrated health care for our times, which honors the wisdom of ancient medicine and recognizes the value of modern diagnostics, advancements in science, nutrition, and mental health.
In her free time, Katie enjoys spending time outside, reading, studying, and connecting with friends and family.
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Education:
Katie earned her Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, in Portland, Oregon. She is board certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and holds a license of acupuncture in Oregon. She continues her herbal studies through the Graduate Mentorship Program at the White Pine Institute with Sharon Weizenbaum. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Certificate of Massage Therapy.
Katie has over a decade of combined experience providing client and patient care in a variety of clinical settings. This experience helped her develop a thorough understanding of the human body, of common patterns of pain and injury, and of the profound impact of healing touch.
Education and Certifications
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine 2015-2019
The Master of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (MAcOM) is a four-year, full-time graduate professional degree program consisting of 3,227 hours (212.61 quarter credits), of which 1,131 hours are devoted to clinical training and 2,096 hours are devoted to didactic training.
Oregon State University (Cascades) 2013-2015
B.S. in Psychology
Central Oregon Community College 2010-2013
A.A. in Psychology
Certificate of Massage Therapy
"Our wounds are often the opening to the best and most beautiful part of us"
- David Richo
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Philosophy and Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture Practice
The philosophical framework for the practice of acupuncture is grounded in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM offers a perspective on the nature of illness and health that is uniquely different from, and is complementary to Western Medicine. In TCM, human beings are deeply connected with all the phenomena of nature; formed from, and nourished by natures’ essential elements, influenced by its rhythms and subject to its laws of growth and change. Health can be defined as a harmonious relationship between ones’ own internal condition and ones’ external environment; there must be a balance between ones’ body/mind/spirit and ones’ relationship with nature.
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In TCM theory, the human body is an energetic system in which energy (QI) flows along defined pathways (meridians) throughout the body. When the body is in harmony and balance the flow is smooth. An imbalance disrupts the flow of QI and manifests as pain, dysfunction, injury, disease and/or disorders. Acupuncture is a therapy to restore the flow of Qi to promote health and balance.
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The theories of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, Qi and the Fundamental Substances, pathogenesis and differentiation of syndromes and meridians and points provide the framework for the fundamental understanding of human health and illness and for the use of needle acupuncture, herbology, moxibustion, cupping, acupressure and other TCM modalities. The main emphasis is prevention of illness by maintaining the balance of harmony within.
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Proper diagnosis in accordance with TCM theories is critical for planning and carrying out effective treatment with TCM & acupuncture techniques. By correctly identifying the pattern of the disorder according to TCM and by applying the appropriate treatment to correct imbalance, the TCM Practitioner and Acupuncturist help the patient to regain health and balance naturally. The TCM Practitioner and Acupuncturist may combine treatment with other TCM modalities such as the ingestion and topical use of herbs, dietary considerations and cultivation of a positive life philosophy and life style to enhance vitality.